How To Make Your Feet Skinnier: All You Need To Know

Have you been having trouble finding shoes that comfortably fit? A lot of women wish for a slimmer set of feet, either so they can wear all shoe styles or for health purposes. Having wide feet can cause foot pain, so I don’t blame you if you’ve been wanting to know how to make your feet skinnier.

Today, we’ll talk about just that, and more. It may not be noticeable, but having wide feet can curb your quality of life. Since shoes are manufactured to create standard sizes, it’s almost impossible to find a pair that will fit your wide feet comfortably. What should we do about it? We can learn how to make our feet skinnier!

What You’ll Need:

The following are individual options you can take for making your feet skinnier:

Diet & Exercise

Electro-Muscle Stimulator

Plastic Surgery

Over-the-Counter Orthotics

Custom Orthotics

Diet & Exercise

Perhaps the most effective way to get slimmer feet is to lose weight by dieting and getting regular exercise. Your feet are one of the many parts of the body where excess fats travel to. If you shed those excess body fats, you’ll see overall results.

Spot-reducing your feet will prove futile, but if you start watching what you eat and exercise religiously, you’ll see a significant change in your feet’s shape and overall appearance.

Electro-Muscle Stimulator

Electro-muscle stimulators (EMS) have been around since the 1950s, but it was only in 1973 that the United States and other Western countries have learned of it when Dr. Yaakov Kots presented a paper at Concordia University in Montreal. It was a paper that talked about the massive potential of EMS to alleviate pain and enhance strength. EMS devices are lightweight and portable.

If you use one for your feet, it will send electrical signals through electrode pads. Your feet’s nerves and muscles will be stimulated, and that stimulation demands a significant amount of energy. Because of this, the surrounding fat cells in your feet are burned for energy.

Plastic Surgery

You have two options in plastic surgery that will result in skinnier feet: Liposuction and Toe Shortening. Although the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society does not approve of cosmetic foot surgery, these are two remain very popular choices for people who wish to have slimmer feet.

However, if bone deformities are the cause for the wideness of your feet, then surgery that aims to narrow down the entire foot is recommended, especially if the deformity raises general foot health concerns.

Over-The-Counter Orthotics (OTC Orthotics)

Orthotics are devices that you insert inside your shoes that don’t give you proper foot support. The orthotic may give support for the arch, heel, or wherever part of your foot needs support the most.

Silicone pads are common OTC Orthotics and are usually meant for the ball of your foot. You’ll also see orthotic insoles that are designed to bring more support for your feet than the insoles that come with your shoes.

You want to get over-the-counter orthotics with the best arch support there is. If you need support for your walking or running shoes, you need to get one that has a great arch. The arch helps stop foot flattening, and over time may prevent the foot from getting any wider.

Custom Orthotics

If the OTC orthotics don’t give enough support, use custom orthotics. Customized orthotics are devices designed to give support and comfort to your feet.

Also called “Prescription Orthotics”, they closely fit your foot’s contours, which helps avoid flattening of the feet and gives better foot support. How do you get custom orthotics? After a podiatrist has evaluated your feet, legs, and ankles.

Custom orthotics can either be functional or accommodative. Functional orthotics are used for controlling abnormal motion which is one of the causes of foot pain. They’re also used for treating foot injuries.

Accommodative orthotics are used as additional support and cushioning. These are often used by diabetic patients who suffer from foot ulcers, and for uncomfortable foot conditions such as calluses.

What To Do With The Options

Diet & Exercise

Exercise:

#1 - If you have a heart condition, diabetes, obese, or have other chronic health problems, it’s wise to consult your physician first before starting a diet and exercise program.

This is especially advised if you’re over 40 years old. If you don’t have these conditions and are 40 years old and below, don’t rush into doing heavy exercises. Start with slow exercise routines.

#2 - Build up your workouts by gradually increasing either the intensity of your workouts or the frequency. Gradually increasing workouts will help you avoid any injury and muscle soreness.

It’s safe to stick with 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio exercise per day at this point. The 30 minutes can be broken down into three 10-minute workouts or two 15-minute workouts, whichever you find comfortable doing.

#3 - Add some strength training exercises two times a week. Also, incorporate daily cardio-pumping activities like biking or any sport you enjoy playing with your family. If you’re not in a rush, consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Do some gardening in your spare time. The important thing is to stay active.

Diet:

#1 - Start shopping for foods that have the essential nutrients, and start throwing away those with empty calories. Your lunch and dinner should have grain products, fruits, and vegetables. If you must eat dairy, opt for low-fat products. If you need meat, buy lean ones. Include in your grocery list lots of leafy greens. Avoid salty foods as much as possible.

#2 - Be mindful of your eating habits. Start monitoring what you eat if you wish to lose weight around your feet. You may start a food journal and note down every piece of food you consume. This will help you in becoming aware of how much you’re actually eating each day and at what time of the day you usually get crazy cravings.

Electro-Muscle Stimulator

#1 - Before considering getting EMS treatment, check to see if you have any of the following conditions. If you do, avoid the EMS.

This is essential for determining your progress throughout your EMS treatment. Some facilities may require you to do fasting or suggest that you eat at least eight hours before the session so they can get your most accurate weight.

#3 - One session of EMS treatment may last up to an hour. After the first one, get two more sessions per week for one and a half months. This is so you’ll get optimal results.

Plastic Surgery

#1 - Get your feet evaluated by a surgeon before undergoing any aesthetic foot surgery. If you notice any swelling in the ankles and feet, this may be edema caused by poor blood circulation, pregnancy, an infection, or taking certain medications, talk to your physician. These must be ruled out first before getting cosmetic surgery.

#2 - If the swelling is caused by obesity, then find a surgeon that will do the liposuction. This is a new trend that earned the name “toebesity surgery”. This is normally an outpatient procedure and the recovery time is short.

Over-the-Counter Orthotics

#1 - Go to a pharmacy and find an OTC orthotic. Some stores offer foot mapping, so ask if you can have your feet mapped.

#2 - Factor in what type of activity you need the orthotic for, and also the type of footwear you’ll be wearing. OTC orthotics are designed for different uses such as for wearing high heels, for walking, and for sports.

Custom Orthotics

#1 - Go to your podiatrist and explain the history of your foot complaint. Let your doctor know how the problem progressed. The information the doctor will get from you will determine the course of your biomechanical assessment and the custom foot orthotic that will be prescribed to you.

#2 After the biomechanical assessment, you will be asked to walk. This is to show if you have one foot that’s flatter than the other. This gait analysis may involve in-shoe pressure measurement that will help the podiatrist in prescribing you your custom foot orthotic. If you happen to be a runner, you’ll be asked to get on a treadmill while you’re being filmed.

#3 - You will now undergo casting where the contours of your feet will be captured. This may be done using laser, a semi-weight bearing cast method, or a 3-dimensional plater casting. Remember, the goal is to not have flat feet so you’ll have skinnier feet. Custom orthotics will help keep you from getting flat feet.

#4 - Wait for your prescription. The steps you’ve taken above are your podiatrist’s basis in prescribing you your custom orthotic. Once a prescription is written, it will be sent to an orthotic lab together with your cast. You are recommended to go back for modifications but not until you’ve worn the orthotic for at least four weeks.

Expert Tips!

Avoid OTC orthotics that go flat once you step on them. These are made from soft materials. Find one that’s made from hard plastic or plastic polymer as it offers better support underfoot.

Motivate yourself to shed extra pounds not just to make your feet skinnier, but to help with your foot health. Being heavy takes a toll on your knees too!

Final Thoughts

If you want to have skinnier feet, you must lose general body fat. There is no quick way to slim your feet down without surgery, so effort is needed on your part. With regular exercise and proper diet, your body adjust its proportions naturally, resulting in skinnier feet.

Do you know someone who’s trying to get slimmer feet or who experiences foot pain due to wide or flat feet? Please feel free to share the article with them, and share your similar stories as well in the comments section below!

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